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Yes, today is Jewish Valentine’s day

20 years ago
4 Comments
by ck
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Granted, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av or Tu B’Av predates Christianity by 1,500 years but whatever…

The Mishna explains that on this day, which it calls one of Judaism’s most festive, Jewish maidens used to go out to the fields wearing borrowed white clothing – so as not to embarrass those who did not have fine garments of their own – and would say, “Young man, lift up your eyes and appreciate whom you are choosing [to marry]. Don’t look at our beauty. Instead, look at the family…”

Sounds like fun! Read up some more about it here. Thanks to Israel from JMatch for the link.

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ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

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4 Comments

  • Aw c’mon Janice. You have to admit that the notion of comely single Jewish women dressed in (borrowed) white clothing beckoning for their beloved makes for a rather compelling visual. No one does this anymore, instead we have parties organized by the nice boys atBangitout.com but I kinda wish we had that whole field thing instead. Anything but yet another Jewish singles party ….

  • So the Jewish “Valentine’s Day” has come and gone. As a relationship coach, I choose not to make a big deal about these “special” days devoted to love, especially to those singles who are searching for a life partner relationship. After all, it’s only one day focusing on love, while the truth is that EVERY day in the year should be about, and be filled with, love. For some people having a date, or being in a serious relationship, is important for two days of the year: New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. And you can include your birthday too if it means you can tell your family that instead of celebrating with them, you’re going to be with your sweetheart.

    The point of my ignoring these “special” days stems from my interest in helping singles find a LIFE partner. Having a life partner means that you have someone to share your life with EVERY day of the year. And having a life partner means that you can grow together, maybe even have a family, and create a life where you can exemplify other values — such as loyalty, kindness, honesty, giving and sharing — in addition to love.

    So I challenge relationship-oriented singles to look beyond these special one day celebrations of love. Instead, search for the one with whom you can share thousands of days with. A whole life together always equals more than one or two Valentine’s Days. And a bunch of flowers.